So, this is how it works here. Apparently having a broken leg is the automatic Singletrack qualifier for having to write the weekly intro to Fresh Goods Friday. Apparently this somehow magically makes one literate and creative enough to come up with some kind of entertaining introduction. I’m more inclined to say its the industrial strength Codeine pain killers that currently seem to enable me to float above the desk in a kind of addled melancholy that are helping me knock out this weeks completely meaningless ramble. Is this really what it has come to now? 15 years of publishing and we turn to the sick and the drugged to produce our editorial content? Apparently everyone else is too busy walking on their legs to string some words together, so it’s been left to me. I’m not happy. It’s disturbing my House M.D binge watching session. I find myself empathising with the lead character in everything from the regular ingestion of narcotic painkillers to attitudes to other human beings around me. I could of course just be feeling sorry for myself since I can’t ride a bike for 6 weeks. So just how is introducing this week’s selection of bikes and bits that have arrived in the office meant to make me feel better, eh? I mean come on! It’s not right. It’s not fair and you can all go and f… [We’ll just leave it there shall we Mark? Have another blue pill and go and lie down – Ed]Â
GT Sensor Carbon Expert 2015
Price: £2999.99 From  GT Bikes
Scott Dryo women’s waterproof shorts
Price: £79  From:Scott Sports
Madison Alpine FR Shorts
Price: £54.99  From: Madison
Gore Oxygen Partial WINDSTOPPER Thermal Bibtights
These are men’s tights, but Hannah was the only one in the office small enough to fit into the pair we have!
Price: £139.99 From: Gore
Gore Power Trail GT AS Jacket
Richard has once again been distracted from his modelling duties by beer. The label does match his jacket though.
Price: £199.99 From: Gore
Gore Power Trail Jersey L/S
Price: £59.99  From: Gore
Gore Power Trail Gloves
Breathable and well armoured gloves for all round trail ride duties. We have a glove test coming up in a few issues that will feature many more like this.
Price: £34.99 From: Gore
Gore Power Trail GT ASÂ Shorts
Winter is coming and the trails are getting wetter. Time to gear up with shorts that can take a splash or two before you get too soggy.
Awesome box there Jamie lad. Remember the doc said don’t scratch it Jamie or you’ll just make it spread.
Price: £129.99  From: Gore
Gore Element WINDSTOPPER AS Vest (Women’s)
Hannah wields the hammer in the Singletrack office both metaphorically and literally. It really is a good idea to keep on her good side, which in the pic would be behind her.
Price: £79.99 From: Gore
Gore Power Trail GTAS WINSTOPPER Jacket
Look! More kit from Gore.
Price: £199.99 From: Gore
Gore Power Trail Shorts+
Price: £129.99  From: Gore
Gore Element Lady WINDSTOPPER SO Hoody
Hooded jackets polarise opinion here in the office. As for mine? It’s whatever Hannah says it is..
Price: £129.99  From: Gore
POC Trail Shorts
In case the guy behind you doesn’t know what you are wearing POC have included a handy description right on the arse cheek. Scotchlite highlights we like.
Men’s Boron Blue Price: £80: From POC
POC have new owners now BTW. Find out who just laid out $65 million for them here
Berkelium Green – Women’s Price: £80 From: POC
Intrepid Apparel – DH Recon Shorts
We are not sure what is going on here. Do both those arms belong to Jamie or is he being arrested?
That’s a mighty fine reinforced backside you have there. Tough shorts that are currently on sale.
Price: £69 (currently £35 we are informed) From Intrepid Apparel
Repack Baselayers
Long sleeved £35  Short sleeved £30 From: Repack
HT T1 clipless pedals
In for a future grouptest, HT T1 clipless pedals.
Extruded aluminium body and designed and ridden by Aaron Gwin no less. We look forward to testing these out along with a bunch of other pedals in a forthcoming grouptest.
Price: £99.99 From: Ison
Continental Der Baron 27.5 Tyres & Revo Sealant
Tyre Price: £59.99  Sealant: £8.99 – £26.99 depending on bottle size. From: Continental
Dosun LR260 Rear Light
A natty little USB chargeable rear light with 180 degree visibility to make you really standout. Quick rubbery attachment means you can move it between bikes super quick. Not glamorous but we all need one.
Price: £24.95  From: Bright Bike Lights.com
Starry Light RX02 Dual Beam Angle Front Light
A tiny but powerful light with highbeam and low beam settings and lots of options including a remote handlebar control panel. A lot of light tech in a small package for not a great amount of cash. Colour us intrigued.
Price: £54.00  From: Bright Bike Lights.com
Shimano XT Brakeset
For years these have been our standard, preferred brake on all our test bikes and personal bikes. You even loved the whole XT groupset enough to give it a reader Award this year.Â
Price: £89.99  From: Madison
Dr Zak’s Peanut Butter
Yes, this week a package arrived full of technical peanut butter. It really did.
‘Next generation peanut butter – if you thought protein supplementation only involved off tasting shakes and bars you could break your teeth on, it’s time to think again… Free from palm oil, made with partially-hydrolysed whey protein isolate, which means it’s easier and faster for your body to absorb the 36g of protein each 100g of the nut butter contains.’ But smooth only. No chunky! Who eats smooth peanut butter? I’m mean who? No one.. That’s who?
Price: £6.99 for 450g jar
www.musclefood.com and selected health stores and gyms.
And all that remains is to leave you with one peanut butter related fun fact. In the kids TV program of the 70’s Skippy the Bush Kangaroo the director made Skippy ‘talk’ for the camera by feeding him peanut butter. It stuck to the roof of the animals mouth causing it to make the famous clicking ‘talking’ noise to signify that poor little bobby was stuck down a well. It’s true.. We think.
I can see what you are saying about it being a single pivot.
Have you told GT this?
Only the rep I spoke to yesterday reckoned it was not.
Maybe we could invent a newism…….’single pivot +’.
Every bastard will want one!
Maybe it is a single pivot if you are just talking about the relationship between the back wheel and seat tube…….
But this bike has a floating bb and crank which is not rigidly attached to the seat tube like most other setups……
So, if you are talking about the relationship between the crank/bb and the rear wheel then it is a four bar…….
But the main thing is how it all translates when you are riding it, and Barney, in whom we all trust, seems to think that the jobs-a good-un with this one. Hopefully I’ll get a go on one soonish and find out.